When asked how Not So Sleepy will run, Hughie Morrison always tries his hardest, but he can only give so much information at a time.
One of the many reasons Not So Sleepy has developed a cult following is that, as we all know by now, only the horse himself knows how he will perform.
Not So Sleepy was brilliant when winning the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown last year, and he also won a handicap on the Flat at Newbury. With Quickthorn winning the Goodwood Cup for them last summer, Lord and Lady Blyth were able to achieve the unique distinction of owning and breeding elite winners on the Flat and over jumps in the same year as a result of their success.
Not So Sleepy is back on the Flat at Newbury after finishing down the field in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and Morrison is ready for anything the 12-year-old decides to throw at him.
“We were really looking forward to running him at Nottingham in the Further Flight Stakes and had him ready to be at his best for that, so this race is something of an afterthought,” Morrison said. “If the weather had been wetter we were keen to run him in the John Porter, but with conditions drying out we’ve decided to go for the longer race on the ground that’s going to be softer. He’s just so happy at the moment at home but, truthfully, you never know what he’s going to be like.”